The Value of Networking to Your Business

As a professional accountant I occasionally fight with the people side of business. I often fail networking and promotion of my company when things are going extremely nicely. I’m someone who can talk business but in regards to developing long term relationships with new contacts and being personable: I fight.

As my business has added new products to the line, (and since they’re right in my office building) I determined to join my local Chamber of Commerce. Naturally, the first thing they do is point me in the guidance of a get together they’re having. Ugh! My experience hasn’t always been favorable with societal hours and the java, but am keeping an open mind!

The first trip was on a Sailboat Charter company; it was wonderful; it was a lovely night; there were about 20 of us; I was prepared for anything and had rehearsed for hours my new 30 second advertisement.

The group constituted of the usual suspects: web designers, photographers, tree services; the most unusual was a girl who helped individuals in negociate for her customers and purchasing automobiles; she did all the footwork. The truth is, one of her customers sat next her and vouched for her services; but that wasn’t the best part: a girl recalled her from another occasion; the girl had recalled that she was inspired as a kid with a love for automobiles; she and her brothers would sit on the veranda and identify automobiles in front of their house. Bingo!

It got me remember what inspired me as a young girl. I grew up in a small town in New York State. There were literally 3,000 individuals and not a whole lot to do. Nevertheless, our neighbor did fairly nicely and had a garbage company with about 3 trucks. The wife took me under her wing and needed to know if I ‘d help out with the bill when I was about 14. This consisted of writing postcards to customers telling them what they owe subsequently when they paid crediting their accounts.

That business model that was straightforward triggered something in me that lives on now. The love of company and all that it entails; the highs, the lows, the battles, the satisfaction of being your own boss, the natural imagination we all have but may not tap into, the increase as an individual is immeasurable;